Self pity. I think this is the root of all true evil.
I understand that it’s usually caused by trauma and/or some form of neglect like over-coddling. The latter isn’t unpleasant, but it’s the kind of grooming that lures someone into a toxic way of thinking so they will inflict trauma on others, which causes a kind of moral injury.
Still, this is at the root of all sorts of self pity and insecurity based extremism. It makes people feel entitled to exploit and harm others because their worldview says that’s what those being shaped objects (in their perspective) are there for.
Understanding this was one of the most frightening realizations of my life.
